Dhaam Dhoom disappoints despite good music

News : Movie review

The strength of the movie lies in the music scored by Harris Jayaraj. Even the background score reflects the mood of the film. Jeeva's camera has done a splendid job and captures the hero's loneliness and his torture by the police to a nicety

THE FINAL work of the late ace cinematographer, Jeeva has raised a lot of questions on the part of the audience. It was tom-tommed as Jeeva’s magnum opus and the most awaited one in terms of technical perfection, story and music. But latest reports reveal that the movie hasn’t live up to expectations. Yes, we should admit that the man who envisioned the movie is not there to witness it but sources say 75 percent of the film had been completed by Jeeva. His friends completed the rest as a tribute to the camera maestro.

Actually, it is the story written by Jeeva that let down the movie completely, by revealing the villain in the first half! From this point onwards, the movie proceeds like any other clichéd movie. Perhaps, Jeeva’s assistant, Manikandan along with Harris Jayaraj had decided to present Dhaam Dhoom as some sort of a musical tribute to the late filmmaker since the audience is treated to three songs in the first 22 minutes! In brief, the film is lacking in story, impressive action and good climax.


The story is a damp squib. Dhaam Dhoom hogged the limelight when it was shot as it deals with the story of an Indian citizen who visits a foreign country for official purposes but runs into trouble there. Dhaam Dhoom can be claimed as a reel version of a Glasgow incident (where an Indian citizen, Dr. Shaqeel Ahamed, suspected as a terrorist, is arrested and after hectic parleys between the Australian and Indian sides, is convicted) or a thread inspired by similar situations. And it evoked an emotional response from the viewers.


D Gautham Subramaniyam (Jayam Ravi), while on a visit to his sister’s (Anu Hassan) house in a village falls in love with country lass Shenbagam (Kangana Ranut). Their marriage is fixed but Ravi is deputed by the government to Russia for a medical conference. In the airport, he bumps into Hanna, a Russian model, who is a carrier of drugs. The ruthless Russian mafia lays a trap for Gautham into which he walks. He is accused of killing Hanna. The local police arrest him with strong evidence and torture him. But the story, with a socially relevant subject, struggles to move from one scene to another. A perfect example is the meeting between Jayam Ravi (Gautham Subramaniyam) and the Indian embassy’s Raghavan Nambiar (Jayaram), Jayaram’s expression when he realises that Ravi has identified him as also the climax. Above all, though the protagonist here is a down-to-earth character, he survives with some first aid after being shot at by the Russian police. A tough scene to believe!


Technical perfection: In this area the movie has set new heights. From editing, wielding the camera and shooting songs to the title card, the movie has tried something different. It has used novel ideas and innovative techniques to please the audience.


Casting: Jayam Ravi has nothing special to do in the story; his job is very light. But Ravi has succeeded in attracting youngsters by delivering foot-tapping dance numbers. Jayam Ravi fails as an action hero, in spite of the presence of action director from Hollywood, Chris Anderson. Reena Kaganut is average. It is the verdict on Kanagut’s performance as heroine. At exposing her body, she excels, but when it comes to acting she has miles to go. The talented veteran, Jayaram is too cute-faced to play the villain and this has adversely affected the movie. Jayaram does not have the flexibility to don the villain’s role. In many scenes, Jayaram is in dilemma, including the climax; his dialogue delivery is below par. The on-screen chemistry between Jayam Ravi and Reena Kaganut is superb. Both of them have tried their best to deliver - be it songs, comic or sentimental scenes.


The strength of the movie lies in the melodious music scored by Harris Jayaraj. The numbers Anbae Anbae… and Azhiyilae Mutkuli…featuring Jayam Ravi and Kangana Ranut are awesome. Kudos to Harris, even the background score reflects the mood of the film. Jeeva’s camera (the scenes in Russia were shot by him before he died), has done a splendid job and captures the hero’s loneliness, his torture by the police and the inclement, chilly weather to a nicety. Jeeva’s pizzazz stands out in the scene where Ravi escapes from a police car, after an assassination attempt. With a weak story, script and dialogues, Dhaam Dhoom is a handicapped movie and finally ends with some music. Yes, the movie can be better described as a musical tribute to the late Jeeva, as it’s the only area where it stands out!